Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

The 2023 NFL Draft class is filled with talent and has been highly riveted for nearly two years now. One of the most sought after prospects is running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama. Gibbs is tied with Zach Charbonnett as the second best back in this class behind Bijan Robinson. The one factor keeping Gibbs from separating himself from his fellow classmates is his small stature at 5’9, 199 pounds. His size and skill set are elite, but would not fit in every offense, so we will take a look at his best and worst potential landing spots for April’s NFL Draft.

Best Landing Spots:

New Orleans Saints

I believe this pairing here is a no-brainer. Gibbs profiles similarly to Jamaal Charles in terms of athletic ability, and Gibbs has a play style similar to Alvin Kamara. Gibbs would be perfectly implemented into the offense without having to change a thing. His ability in the pass game is elite, and he has the footwork and next-level speed to take any run to the house. This offense led by Derek Carr, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Chris Olave would make the Saints favorites to win the NFC South. Alvin Kamara is likely facing a hefty suspension in 2023 due to an altercation that occurred off the field; Kamara is also a cut candidate following the 2023 season, as doing so would save the Saints over $7 million in cap space. Kamara is incredible, but the writing is on the wall as his time as a Saint is quickly coming to an end, and Jahmyr Gibbs is the perfect replacement.

Carolina Panthers

Another NFC South fit, Gibbs would help propel the Panthers offense. After trading up for the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s clear the Panthers want to draft their franchise quarterback. The only problem with trading up is the Panthers had to give up their number one receiver, with no real options to replace D.J. Moore.  The Panthers also traded Christian McCaffrey last season, leaving a gaping hole at the running back position. Gibbs could slide into a three-down workhorse role and would help alleviate the pain of losing D.J. Moore in the passing game. The Panthers are likely to struggle with a rookie quarterback at the helm and could find themselves dumping down to Gibbs often. The Panthers may win a decent number of games due to their solid defense, and in these games Gibbs could be fed on the ground, thus keeping the ball out of a young quarterback’s hands. It’s a win-win for both Gibbs and the Panthers, who may find Gibbs available with their 39th overall pick in the draft. 

Worst Landing Spots

Kansas City Chiefs

Once thought to be a fantasy gold mine, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have proved time and time again that they can somehow be elite in real life with no real fantasy value. Outside of Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the rest of the Chiefs roster severely underperformed in the fantasy football world. The Chiefs lack of commitment to a running back is concerning, as they’ve had eight different leading rushers over the past nine seasons. In this pass-first offense, Gibbs would be underutilized in the ground game and would not see the check down volume to make up for it.  The Chiefs also love to use trick plays in the red zone, thus severely capping Gibbs’ touchdown upside, while Travis Kelce is catching underhanded throws on the one-yard line for some odd reason. The illusion that is the Chiefs’ offense is what made Clyde Edwards-Helaire the 1.01 in rookie drafts over Jonathan Taylor. Hopefully, that same illusion doesn’t happen with Jahmyr Gibbs. 

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have recently made headlines by shopping future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry. On one hand, Henry is an older player in the most replaceable position in the league, on the other hand, Henry is the engine that drives this offense. If the Titans were to acquire Gibbs, Gibbs would certainly fail in this offense. While highly talented, Gibbs does not have the physical traits to be relied on in the way the Titans have used Henry over recent years. Of course, the Titans would need to adjust their offense to fit Gibbs’ needs, but the Titans’ passing attack is so porous that opposing defenses would focus on eliminating Gibbs. Head coach Mike Vrabel has done a phenomenal job with this team, but his defensive minded focus creates questions as to whether or not the Titans would be able to completely restructure their offense with their current roster.